Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Commercial AI models were used to help plan and conduct cyber-attack against operational technology of a water and drainage facility, say researchers

CISA: Iran-Linked Groups Actively Exploiting OT Exposure Risks, PLC ProgrammersFederal agencies are warning that Iranian-linked actors have begun actively exploiting internet-facing PLCs and misconfigured OT systems across U.S. critical infrastructure, enabling network access, lateral movement and potential disruption amid rising geopolitical tensions.

PLCs Increasingly in Hacker Crosshairs, Warns TrellixPatching is still the mortal weaknesses of operational technology environments, warns cybersecurity firm Trellix in a report assessing incidents in critical infrastructure settings during the middle two quarters of this year.

U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have issued a joint advisory warning of potential cyber-attacks from Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated threat actors.  "Over the past several months, there has been increasing activity from hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors, which is expected to escalate due to recent events," the agencies said

Iranian OT Hacking Team Has Gone Quiet … Too QuietArmed exchanges between Iran and Israel and the prospect of U.S. armed intervention against Tehran has cyber defenders warning about hacking risks to critical infrastructure. Iran's CyberAv3ngers doesn't possess the sophistication of Chinese or Russian actors but it's still a persistent threat.

With critical infrastructure facing constant cyber threats from the Typhoons and other corners, federal agencies and others are warning security for the OT network, a core technology in many critical sectors, is not powered up enough.

Threat Groups Are Mapping OT Networks for Future Targeting, Warns DragosA China-linked threat group called Voltzite is targeting operational technology systems at critical infrastructure organizations worldwide to steal network diagrams, OT operating instructions and information about geographic information systems, said cybersecurity firm Dragos.

Cyberattack on Aliquippa Water Plant Highlights Vulnerabilities in OT SystemsThe onset of war between Israel and Hamas led to a spike in cyberattacks against operational technology, says Microsoft in a warning to critical infrastructure operators about the dangers of internet-exposed operational technology.

The US government is warning that pro-Russian hacktivists are seeking out and hacking into unsecured operational technology (OT) systems used to disrupt critical infrastructure operations. [...]

There's a war on and critical infrastructure operators are still using default passwords Iran-linked cyber thugs have exploited Israeli-made programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in "multiple" water systems and other operational technology environments at facilities across the US, according to multiple law enforcement agencies .…